Taming Anxiety……5/15/22

“And then,” I might add, “creates a flood downstream!”  The original quote uses the word fear – I prefer anxiety.  The distinction is that anxiety is a negative projection about the future that I imagine, and usually has little chance of happening.  Try to get a perspective.  With fear, the threat is not projected/imagined but is real and imminent.  The quote reminds us that trickling is okay – a small amount of anxiety can be productive in certain circumstances, like studying for a test.  It also warns us not to let those imaginings create other negative projections that can carry us away from our selves and the present.  Staying in the now is much preferred.  Ask yourself, “What’s happening now?”  If it’s not now, refocus back to the present.  Doing so will help you avoid the flood. “Be here now.”   Peace, John 

I invite you to become a guest blogger.  It’s easy – find a quote that speaks to you and write a few sentences about it and what it means to you, or what it means in general. Send it all to me in an email with subject line reading “Guest blogger.”  I will review and publish it, with gratitude, and with the hope that others will benefit from it as well. If you need some help, I can furnish you with a quote or several to pick from – I have hundreds of them. Let me know.   Peace,  John 

A Strategy For When You Feel Anxious…..4/14/19

Why do you think this helps?  I think it brings you back to the here and now.  Anxiety is almost always about your thinking too much about the future, usually a negatively projected future.  Have you tried positively projecting the future?  Most of the things you’re anxious about will not happen – the few that do, you will find ways to cope.

Some of you may need to use this grounding tool many times.  If you do, over time I suspect, you will be less anxious.  This, like affirmations, is not a quick fix.  The key is to use the tool regularly.

If you use the strategy, please let me know if it helps.  Email me at jpacheco@personalgrowthconcepts.com

Peace, John

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Changing the Voice of Anxiety….. 4/9/17

The voice, you know, the voice inside your head.  It’s that negative voice – the voice that worries about everything you have made up (projected) about the future.  It’s also that voice of self-criticism and self-doubt.  Somewhere along the way you learned it, and you’ve been practicing it, probably for years.  It’s been on automatic.

It’s only way of growing is to get louder because you haven’t been paying attention to it.  When most people pay attention to it, it doesn’t help, but they keep trying to ignore it, so it gets louder until it drowns out everything else.

Want to fix it?  First, be aware of it and the damage it has done to you (i.e. mindfulness).  Become proactive.  Create another voice, a positive, “can-do attitude” kind of voice.  Create a voice that shouts back and challenges the first one.  Make that voice stick up for the new you and challenge those anxious  irrational beliefs.  Add to the new voice positive “I” messages that focus on the here and now, not on the future.  You then need to listen to the new voice, turn up the volume and pay attention to it.  Never let it take a vacation else the old one will try to creep back in.  Maybe find some kindred spirits with similar voices and create a chorus.  What do you think?

If you do these things repeatedly & persistently, you will find the original voice decreases in volume and intensity.  Your insecurities will diminish as you focus more on your strengths and it becomes easier to think your way through day-to-day situations. Take those anxious thoughts out of automatic and put the new ones in gear and steer and drive them to a new and improved, better you!

As I’ve written in an earlier blog, you can make molehills out of mountains!

Please let me know how these ideas work for you.

Peace, John